Radio-Television Training Ass'n v. United States

163 F. Supp. 637, 143 Ct. Cl. 416, 1958 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 176
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedJuly 16, 1958
DocketNo. 474-56
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 163 F. Supp. 637 (Radio-Television Training Ass'n v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Radio-Television Training Ass'n v. United States, 163 F. Supp. 637, 143 Ct. Cl. 416, 1958 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 176 (cc 1958).

Opinion

Jones, Chief Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

The petitioner brings this action for recovery of allowances •allegedly due from the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs under the provision of § 265 (b) of the Veterans’ Eeadjustment Assistance Act of 1952.

Whether the plaintiff is so entitled to recover is a question •of law. Consequently, both parties have filed motions for summary judgment. Should plaintiff be sustained on its claimed right of recovery, the exact amount of allowances due will be determined pursuant to rule 38 (c) of this court.

The plaintiff corporation conducts and operates a correspondence school in New York State. Subsequent to the enactment of the Veterans’ Keadjustment Assistance Act of 1952, c. 875, § 101, et seg., 66 Stat. 663,38 U. S. C. § 901, etseg. (hereinafter referred to as the “Act”), plaintiff obtained the necessary approval of its courses for the education and training of veterans of the Korean War as provided for in the Act.1 Accordingly, plaintiff is an educational institution within the meaning of § 201 (6) of the Act.2

Sometime after August 20, 1952, the plaintiff has had enrolled among its students veterans who are eligible for the benefits provided under the Act, and who have been furnished approved courses by the plaintiff. As is required [419]*419under'§§231 (c) (2) and 232 (e) of the Act,3 the plaintiff has submitted to the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs certifications as to the number of lessons' completed by the veterans and serviced by the school. In addition, the'plain-' tiff has furnished to, the Administrator necessary reports as to the enrollment, interruption, and' termination. of. the education or training of each eligible veteran enrolled under the Act.4 Furthermore, changes in programs of training have necessitated the submission of additional forms by plaintiff.5

[420]*420To help relieve the expenses that would be incurred by educational institutions in preparing and submitting reports and certifications under the Act, Congress inserted the following language in § 265 (b) [38 U. S. C. § 975 (b) ] :6

The Administrator shall pay to each educational institution which is required to- submit reports and certifications to the Administrator under this title, an allowance at the rate of $1.50 per month for each eligible veteran enrolled in and attending such institution under the provisions of this title to assist the educational institution in defraying the expense of preparing and submitting such reports and certifications. Such allowances shall be paid in such manner and at such times as may be prescribed by the Administrator, except that in the event any institution fails to submit reports or certifications to the Administrator as required by this title, no allowance shall be paid to such institution for the month or months during which such reports or certifications were not submitted as required by the Administrator.

On August 8,1952, the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs by regulation, 38 CFR (1953 Supp.) § 21.2303 (c) (3), provided that no administrative allowance shall be paid to an educational institution for a veteran enrolled in a course pursued exclusively by correspondence.7

The Administrator has denied a written request by plaintiff for payment of these allowances, and has refused to reconsider his denial of plaintiff’s claim. Certification of payment [421]*421of this claim has also been refused by the Comptroller General.

The plaintiff in this action challenges the validity of the regulation promulgated by the Administrator denying payment of administrative allowances to correspondence schools as being inconsistent with the provisions of the Act.8 It is contended by plaintiff that the Act expressly requires that the Administrator shall pay each educational institution such allowances; it neither expressly nor impliedly excludes correspondence schools from the category of institutions entitled to these payments.

In support of its motion for summary judgment, and in opposition to plaintiff’s motion, the Government advances two arguments. First, plaintiff’s suit is one to review a decision of the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs on a claim for payments under a statute administered by the Veterans Administration and is therefore an unconsented suit against the United States which must be dismissed. Secondly, the challenged regulation properly reflects the clearly-expressed intention of Congress and therefore the defendant is entitled to judgment.

The Government urges that the case be disposed of under the first issue on the strength of section 11 of the Act of October 17, 1940, 54 Stat. 1197, 38 U. S. C. § lla-2, which provides:

Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, except as provided in section 19 of the World War Veterans’ Act, 1924, as amended, and in section 817 of the National Service Life Insurance Act of 1940, the decisions of the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs on any question of law or fact concerning a claim for benefits or payments under this or any other Act administered by the Veterans’ Administration shall be final and conclusive and no other official or any court of the'United States shall have power or jurisdiction to review any such decisions.

Assuming the applicability of section 11 to the instant claim, the fact that plaintiff here questions a regulation of [422]*422the Administrator, rather than a particular decision, would not except its claim from the effect of section 11. Slocumb v. Gray, 179 F. 2d 31 (1949.). Moreover, Congress expressly recognized the applicability of section 11 to payments under the Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1952, argues the Government, by reason of § 261 (a) of that Act, 38 U.'S. C. § 971 (a):

* * * Notwithstanding the provisions of section 11 of the Act of October 17,1940, as amended (54 Stat. 1193), payments under this title shall be subject to audit and review by the General Accounting Office as provided by the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, as amended, and the Budget and Accounting Procedures Act .of 1950.

While it is true that Congress has the power to prohibit judicial review of administrative decisions, Swift and Company v. United States, 93 C. Cls. 705, 710 (1941), United States v. Babcock, 250 U. S. 328 (1919), we are of the opinion that the scope of section 11 does not include the “payments” here in dispute. That Congress intended the bar of section 11 to apply only to gratuities seems clear. The purpose of section 11 was to insure that the provisions of existing law remained in effect.9 The status of that law had been expressed in the decision of Lynch v. United States, 292 U. S. 571, 587 (1934). There the Court had before it a “finality” statute similar to section ll.10

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163 F. Supp. 637, 143 Ct. Cl. 416, 1958 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 176, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/radio-television-training-assn-v-united-states-cc-1958.